(bright music) - I am Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check Please Arizona," the show where Arizona residents recommend their favorite restaurants.

This time, we have three chefs talking about their must eat out spots.

They're ready to share their reviews with each other and with you right here on "Check Please Arizona."

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] "Check Please Arizona" is supported by.

- [Narrator 2] Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, personalized cancer care through medical and radiation oncology, focusing on supporting all of you.

Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, outsmarting cancer one patient at a time.

- [Narrator 3] Hospice of the Valley, care for chronic illness, including all stages of dementia.

Plus, compassionate hospice services with emotional support for family members, a not-for-profit community hospice, hov.org.

(calm music) - Copenhagen, featuring contemporary furniture from around the world.

Copenhagen is dedicated to comfort and craftsmanship, located at copenhagenliving.com.

- [Susan] I'm Susan Linkous of the Linkous Group, a fee-based registered investment advisor specializing in financial planning, investment management, insurance strategies, and more.

Linkousgroup.com investing for life.

- [Narrator 4] Whitfield Nursery, proud to support Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown citrus trees and palms, complete custom design and installation, and Whitfield Nursery still does the digging.

Whitfieldnursery.com.

(bright music) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check Please Arizona."

In this episode, a few of my friends are taking over.

Three chefs are talking about their favorite places to grab a bite.

Let's meet 'em.

Chef Beau MacMillan is an award-winning chef.

Fun fact, Chef Beau Mac was once the personal chef for the great one, Wayne Gretzky.

Chef Charleen Badman is a chef and co-owner of FnB in Scottsdale.

She won the James Beard, best chef of the Southwest award in 2019.

She loves to garden and teach kids about vegetables through her blue watermelon project.

Chef Cat Bunnaq is the owner and chef of Glai Baan, a renowned Thai restaurant.

She loves to travel and try out new restaurants.

When she steps outta her kitchen, she and her longtime boyfriend, Dan, enjoy another couple owned restaurant.

This is First & Last.

(bright jazz music) - First & Last is a new American restaurant that loves Italian food.

We always have a focus on seasonal dishes that change as the season changes.

Our goal is to always have someone come in and find a new favorite on the menu.

I think that in a place where we don't have a lot in our weather seasons-wise, it allows people to kind of eat their seasons.

Our cocktail program is really special.

I think that taking the same ethos that we do with our food menu and caring about the spirits that we choose is something that has been really refreshing and compliments the food menu very well.

The ambience of the restaurant is really special because we get to see it kind of evolve from day to night.

We get to see all this beautiful light kind of come through the windows and a really fun kind of lively, friendly atmosphere.

And then for evening, we get to turn the lights down low, light candles, set things up so it's a little bit more romantic and special.

First & Last starts from something very special and personal.

It's a bit of a shorthand for I love you between my partner and husband, Rob and I. Getting to watch somebody that you love do something that they're so passionate and great at is a very special thing.

The guest experience here should feel like it's your place.

We think that the intention that we have and the love that we put into everything really shows up on the plate and the way that we make our guests feel when they're here.

(bright jazz music) - So Chef, how did you find this place?

- I always like to try the new restaurant and I went there, I like it right away.

It's just, and now I know Rob and Ashley, you know?

They're always there.

- [Mark] So you got to know the owners.

- Yeah.

- So what did you get for appetizers?

- [Cat] I start with the crispy cauliflower.

It comes with that minced granada.

It's high nuts.

Yeah, very nice.

Crispy, crunchy.

Good portion we share, yes.

- [Mark] What's it seasoned with?

- Caper, raisin caper vinegarette.

- I love the papa capers too with that mint.

It was great.

What'd you have, Charleen, for now?

- It started with the tuna, which is a crudo, and it was on a beautiful piece of bread which I think they make in-house and it's so delicious.

Cauliflower and the beet salad.

- Good.

How was the crudo seasoned?

- [Charleen] The crudo was nice and bright.

I mean, lots of good acid and flavor.

Same thing with the other dishes as well.

- [Mark] And you love acid.

- I love acid.

That's probably my next tattoo.

- That's good.

You had the focaccia, right?

- [Charleen] Yes, the focaccia, beautiful plate.

I mean, it wasn't even a plate.

Out comes this cast iron skillet.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- [Charleen] And it was like, wow, there it is.

And it was just delicious.

Big piece of butter.

There was some different grains in there too, to really bring out some earthiness.

- [Mark] Right.

- [Charleen] And I really enjoyed that part.

- Cool, cool.

Chef, what'd you have?

- I had the namesake Rob's clams, which if I see clams on a menu, especially in Arizona, I'm coming for them.

So really impressive portion.

Beautifully done.

And the dish was dimensional.

Like it started with like this buttery garlicy taste to it.

And then the fennel kind of kicked in.

It had some charred jalapeno.

- [Mark] Ooh, that's unusual.

It was so good and it just kind of got warmer as you ate it.

And then the grilled bread that came in as well, I was so impressed by.

I thought it was one of the best little bools of bread.

They charred it and you could dip it in that sauce and it was just phenomenal.

- Mop it up.

- Yeah.

Phenomenal.

- And you're from Maine so this is, man.

- All day, every day.

- So tender.

Perfectly stained.

- [Beau] They were buttery, not overcooked.

They were just really, you know, and he's got his name on it.

He was really showcasing, I think, an expression of what he does.

And to me, that's mother's milk.

So I ate every single one of 'em.

- So Cat, what did you have for entree after your apps?

- [Cat] The entree, I have the truffle cacio e pepe, 'cause I like cacio e pepe.

But they do with these pasta with the very ages.

- [Mark] Yes.

- [Cat] Very nice.

I love it.

- [Mark] With a little bit thicker of the pasta.

It was really nice.

Nice texture.

I love it, right?

- [Charleen] Nice chew.

- [Mark] Nice chew.

- [Cat] I like that egg crouton.

It looks so good with it.

And then I have the bolognese with the cooked out bacon to make it like a bolognese with rigatoni pasta.

I had a sticky lamb rib.

I love it.

- [Mark] I didn't have that.

What made it sticky?

I love that on the menu.

- Agrodulce.

- Oh, agrodulce.

Okay, agrodulce.

- Glazed on it, yeah.

- Yeah, it is so good.

- Charleen, what'd you have for entrees?

- The pasta, the cacio e pepe was, that egg was just, I'm still thinking about it.

The egg crouton on top and just breaking it, the crispiness.

Chefs make croutons out of everything, but to do it out of an egg that was just nice, creamy, just added to the whole experience of that pasta because I think a lot of people make it, but this one just was over the top.

And the truffle, lots and lots of truffle.

- Such a great point, 'cause I could agree with you a thousand percent.

He like, grand slammed that fast pitch with that egg out of the park.

But that's like a non-relevant thing to do if you can't get the pasta right and the sauce right.

'Cause cacio e pepe, the pepper, the salt, no balance.

If you miss it by minimal second, it's over.

And he nailed the pasta.

So when you had that egg on top, we were blown away.

I had the same dish.

I agree with you.

It was phenomenal.

Phenomenal.

- What else did you have?

- I order the chicken marsala.

As I get older.

I want things that I love that have been around for years.

So beautiful chicken thigh breast, pressed very well, crispy skin, strong flavors, rosemary salt seasoning and mashed potatoes with some beautiful mushrooms in a light sauce.

Everything on that plate worked in harmony.

It was fantastic.

It was a dish I'd go back for.

- Okay, dessert, Beau.

What'd you get?

- Dessert blew me outta the water.

As I get older, I've gotten a little more sweeter taste to that.

I never order dessert.

Now I'm like, let's get the dessert menu.

You know?

It's crazy.

But I ordered the basque cheesecake.

Came with a little side of figs, very simple, very elegant presentation.

And I remember running my spoon through that cheesecake and it was like warm knife through butter.

It was so creamy and dreamy.

It was so delicious.

You're living the dream.

It's good stuff.

- Nice.

- Yep.

- Charleen.

- The creme caramel.

And that was a recommendation from our server.

And I am so happy she said that.

It was really great.

It was delicious, smooth.

I agree with you.

A little bit older, you want something sweet, 'cause I used to just skip dessert, but it was delicious.

It was a great way to finish the meal.

- So what'd you have?

- I have the same thing.

I don't like to order dessert, but this is, I love, I have to steal your word, dreamy.

What was it again?

- Dreamy, creamy.

- Dreamy and creamy.

Yeah.

It's so good.

- Well, cool.

This is a time where we do pro tips.

Just one sentence or one word.

So this was your restaurant, what's the pro tip?

- The time that I went there, they have a Sunday supper special.

Think it's $45 for appetizer, dinner and dessert.

And also come with like, if you can add on a bottle of wine.

- Oh wow.

- Too.

Yeah, so I think it's very, very good value.

- I'm gonna definitely say the parking.

There's three little spots like in front of the restaurant, but directly across from the restaurant is a free garage.

It's not like you're walking across the street.

It's right across the alley right there, and you're in.

- My pro tip, come hungry because the menu is just so approachable and delicious.

And order those clams, share them, because it's a great portion.

And definitely get the cheesecake.

Definitely get the cheesecake.

- Well the pro tip is clams from a man from Maine.

- You know it, right there.

- All right.

If you want to try First & Last, they're located in downtown Phoenix, near Third Avenue in Roosevelt.

An average dinner costs about $45, and they take reservations for dinner only.

(upbeat music) Now to Chef Charleen's choice.

Her nights may be taken up creating dishes for her guests, but she tries to find time for breakfast, and for her, there's only one place.

Essence Bakery.

(bright guitar music) - [Eugenia] Essence Bakery is a community of people that love to eat good food and care about each other, and they understand the respect and love that we put into our food.

The menu is based on organic ingredients for breakfast.

We have omelets, we have organic eggs, we have delicious coffees.

We make all of our own syrups.

So you can find sandwiches, salads, homemade soups, spanakopita, which is my grandmother's recipe, and of course, pastries and macaroons.

I grew up in Ohio in a restaurant that my grandfather started in 1931 and my brothers still own.

And I started out baking pies for my family.

After college, I worked for a couple years and I decided I need to get back into food.

So I went to Paris and I really perfected pastry making, bread making.

We have an all female kitchen because I really like working with women.

I think we work well together.

We help each other.

We really respect each other.

My husband, Gil, is probably my biggest inspiration.

He'll joke with you and he'll tell you that his job is to make the chef happy.

But it's a lot more than that.

He underplays his role and he keeps this a well-oiled machine.

I love people's face, first of all, when they walk in and they see all the pastries.

And that makes me very happy because it puts a smile on people's face right away.

Whether it be a croissant, a macaroon, a lunch special, a breakfast omelet, whatever it is, I want people to walk away, thinking that was really delicious and to feel satisfied when they leave.

(bright guitar music) - So Charleen, tell me about this place.

How'd you find it?

- I mean, I've known Eugenia, I think for years and years.

- [Mark] We all have.

- Yes.

She's just an awesome person.

She's classically trained with French.

She can, I mean, you can tell, the baguettes, the croissants, those macaroons, I mean everything.

- [Mark] What did you start with?

- [Charleen] A croissant, of course.

But you come in, there's this beautiful case right there where you can just start deciding what you wanna have, if you want something sweet to start with.

And then there's just line rows of different croissants and different baked goods.

- I'm obsessed with croissant.

I think you may be too.

All of us, yes?

- Yes.

- But describe hers, a little bit, the texture and what you love about it.

- [Charleen] Flaky, the layers.

This one had some passion fruit, had a little bar of chocolate in there.

- [Mark] Passion fruit and chocolate, ooh.

- [Charleen] Yes.

Her almond one too.

I did not have that one, but.

- [Mark] Oh, it's one of my faves.

Classic.

- [Charleen] It's classic.

Almonds over the top, the paste in the middle, powdered sugar, it doesn't get any better.

- [Mark] It's like marzipan on a roll.

Love it.

- Yes.

- Cat, what'd you have to start, baked goods?

- [Cat] Yeah, pistachio croissant.

- [Mark] You did pistachio.

- [Cat] Yeah.

- Classic.

- [Cat] I love it.

- So Beau, what'd you have?

- Well, I had a problem with this spot, because I knew I had to get to the menu, but I didn't want to get past that glass case with all of those croissants that we're talking about.

No lie, I literally live for breakfast pastries.

I think they're incredible.

And I'm glad you brought up the almond croissant because I thought it was just magic.

And there was a couple things.

Mine had chocolate in the almond paste, which I love the almond paste.

It was really chewy and delicious and flaky.

It was covered in powdered sugar, covered in a crust of almonds that were so delicious.

But I also felt like there was just this little touch of lemon.

I couldn't pinpoint it.

I don't know where it came from.

But that was the best start I had to an experience in a long time, just that first bite.

- All right, now we're going entrees.

Charleen, your place.

What'd you have?

- I started with the egg and cheese sandwich.

I love it.

Added some spinach to it, tomato.

You can add different things if you'd like to.

It is delicious.

I mean, the bun, and she makes all of her bread there, the brioche, the top is golden and delicious.

- [Mark] Little microbeads and bubbles and, yeah.

- Yes.

It's just like, we should have one right now.

- I know.

I'm getting so hungry.

- [Charleen] It's just beautiful, and you can cut it in half if you wanna share, or you can just grab a hold of it and just get right into it.

Had to order these oat pancakes.

She's getting the oats from Hayden Flour Mills, our local mill.

And that's what I love about Eugenia too.

She is going to be supporting local.

You see it throughout the menu.

I appreciate that so much.

- Well you're all about that.

- Yeah.

So when there's another chef that's doing that, definitely.

- So what'd you have for entrees?

- I stopped by before I go to work on Saturday.

So I just wanted something light.

So I had Quiche Lorraine.

- [Mark] Oh, classic.

- [Kat] Yeah.

Yeah, and it's very, very, very good.

I love it.

And my sister love it.

We share.

And I ordered, for Dan to go, the breakfast sandwich.

Yeah.

Which he love.

- What did Dan think?

- Oh, he loves it.

- Did he share, now it's cut in half.

Charleen said you can share this.

Did he share?

- No, no share.

Never share anything.

- You never share anything?

- No, I mean Dan.

- I'm talking to Dan.

- Did you hear that?

We're gonna talk to Dan.

- Dan didn't share with me.

He's just like, "This is for me."

And just disappear.

- We ordered the oat pancakes as well.

They were golden and soft and not overly huge.

They were nice, nice portion for them with the syrup and the butter.

So delicious.

Like you could taste the kind of the nuttyness, almost.

Yes.

It was just delicious.

And the caramelization of the color was great.

I take away from this, I also ordered an egg sandwich on a baguette, one thing I just knew, just instantly, the baguette itself.

And you said she's been baking for years.

I did not know of this place.

Again, thank you.

You could tell like, baking is where it's at.

That science she has and the art and the love, because the baguette made the sandwich.

The eggs were delicious.

They were creamy.

They were flavorful.

They had a couple layers in it.

There weren't many ingredients on it, but just the bread alone and that outside baguette crust and that softness was phenomenal.

- All right, ambiance.

Chef, this is your place.

Tell us a little bit about it, what people can expect when they go there.

- I mean, you walk right in there is a floor mixer.

I think it's green.

- [Mark] It's like 700 pounds or something.

- [Charleen] Yes, and I mean that's like, that's the decor.

There's tables and chairs, there's high tops.

It's gonna be a little bit louder 'cause it's breakfast though and lunch.

It's hustle and bustle.

It's like, get going.

And you feel that energy and that energy comes from Eugenia.

- I agree with you a hundred percent.

You can grab and go and be in and out.

You can sit for an hour if you want to.

Or by the way, you could post up with a coffee and your laptop and spend three hours.

It has that type of energy and vibe.

- [Charleen] Yes.

- Yeah, I agree.

Yeah, the energy is amazing.

The good life and good neighborhood feel.

I saw her like talking with the chef court, talking to the guests.

And then, you know, she came to talk to me too.

And we share some story.

I love that.

- Let's do the pro tip takeaways.

Charleen, this is your place.

- [Charleen] There's parking behind in the back and she has a door in the back.

So you can slide right in there.

She has a small case over on the side that you can get grab and go.

I wanted her spinach spanakopita, and like I had to have that.

So grab that, add it on, take that to go.

- Yeah.

By the way, that spanakopita is best in the city.

- It is the best in the city.

She puts things in there that are going to be perfect for reheating the pot pie, the quiche that you mentioned, easy to grab.

- I'm struggling to find another better pro tip than that because if you're a home person and you're entertaining and you take the opportunity to drive down there and you wanna lay out some of those products at your house, that's a pro tip.

You're gonna win with those baguettes if they're on anything, making sandwiches at home, or starting off with pastries for a brunch in your home when you're entertaining.

From there, people are gonna go, wow.

- Any pro tips?

- Well, I will share the same pro tip that is grab and go.

It's very easy for me.

Like say if I'm gonna have to go to work, basically it's just grab and go, easy.

- If you want to try Essence Bakery, it's located near 38th Street in Indian School in Phoenix.

An average meal is $20 and they do not take reservations.

(upbeat music) And now Chef Beau Mac's pick.

He's pulled off the unthinkable, finding a place that he, his wife and their five kids can all agree on.

This is Pizzeria Virtu.

(bright music) - I think I would describe Pizzeria Virtu as an elevated pizza experience.

It's not counter service, it's not fine dining, but it's somewhere in the middle.

We have several popular pizzas on the menu.

And the Milano's basically a stracchino cheese base, which is a, a soft cow's milk cheese.

It has some caramelized onions, some peppered bacon, and then it's finished with a little bit of chestnut honey.

People go crazy for that pizza.

On the red side, the Calabrese right now is actually a very popular one.

It has spicy soppressata, of course red sauce.

And then it has a spicy honey drizzled over the top as well.

Almost 80% of the ingredients are imported from Italy and if they're not, we're making it here.

So that's one of the most important things too, is that we wanna make sure that we're really, really upholding that tradition of using the Italian ingredients.

We're not just about pizza, obviously.

You know, we're about the whole Southern, Italian culture actually.

Not just Naples, but Colibri too, 'cause that's where my family's from, my roots are from.

So the oven is a wood burning oven from Italy, and the oven gets to over a thousand degrees in the dome and about 800 degrees on the floor of the oven.

So the pizzas cook according to VPN rules, in 90 seconds or less.

So the VPN is Vera Pizza Napoletana.

It's an association that was created back in Naples.

Now they have very strict rules.

You know, you must have the two basic pizzas on the menu.

You have the Margherita and the marinara.

And you have to use only flour, water, salt and yeast in your dough.

And you have to proof it or ferment it for a certain amount of time.

Rules are there to preserve the tradition of Neapolitan style pizza.

We wanna make sure that everyone leaves here saying, "I love that place.

That was the best food I ever had."

And that's the most important part.

- So Beau, how'd you find the place?

- You know, I've known Gio.

- How can you not know Gio?

- Yeah, I've known Gio forever and he is just a great human being, great friend from his Virtu restaurant to now the pizzeria.

And, you know, it's hard when you have a family to get out and please everybody.

You know, we thought we were gonna break up during the pandemic 'cause Sweet Tomatoes closed, you know what I mean?

That was a rough spot for us, so literally.

But I love the restaurant and I love it for multiple reasons.

I love it because it makes it for a great date night if you want to come in with just a couple, or if you wanna bring the whole family, there's something for everybody.

And it's just good food that you know and love.

It's Italian food that's well cared for and delicious.

- You went with your family.

- Yeah.

- And you eat like, we all love to eat, which is, I call it dysfunctional family style dining.

But some people call it family style dining.

What'd you have, just to start with?

- I had the whole menu.

I did.

I really did.

I ordered the salad for my wife.

I think it was called like pezete or something.

Insane.

My wife, blew her out of the water.

We ordered meatballs, then we got a couple pizzas, then we had a couple pastas and then we had an entree.

- So salad first, right?

- Yeah.

You wanna talk about the salad?

- Well, yeah, because salad can be, you know, eh, or it can be like Charleen's.

- I think my wife described it as honestly one of the best salads she's ever had.

I wasn't going near the salad at first until she brought it up.

This almost had everything in the kitchen sink, in this salad.

There was fregula, cheese, salami, cucumbers.

- [Charleen] There is this tomato, cucumber, but the raisins, so little sweet.

- [Beau] I'm a couscous pine nut raisin guy, 'cause you get the chew the little thing.

And so like for this and then brought together with this pesto, I'm getting emotional over the salad.

It had so many components and it takes you a couple spoonfuls in and think about your attention span and what you really want to gather and find for us.

So that for me was like, wow, that's a blue chip recipe.

Don't ever change this, winner.

- Right, 'cause you mentioned all of those ingredients and it's like, well how do you eat all that?

But they're chopped.

They added to that.

The fregula is a type of couscous that comes from Sardinia.

It's toasted.

It adds that like, the chew.

Like a pasta would.

It was so amazing.

It was my favorite.

- What'd you have for appetizers?

- I have a salad 'cause I just have to go there before I go to work.

So yeah, I just want something light to start.

- I think there's a theme here.

You work too much.

(laughs) - She does work too much.

- I know you do.

- It's really hard for me to go to a restaurant and not- - No, I'm kidding.

- [Cat] So, but I love the salad.

It had the, they call it insalata.

Yeah, baby arugula, tomatoes, red onions.

- [Mark] Classic.

- [Cat] Yeah, classic.

I love it.

Yeah.

I really want to go into dinnertime if they open on Sunday, but they're not.

But lunch, like I went for lunch, so it's beautiful outside.

The service is very nice and I love it.

- And what did you have for an entree?

- [Cat] Entree, we have Milano pizza and the ragu, it's the pork ragu with creamy, dreamy barada.

- Ah.

Nice, nice.

- [Mark] And that Milano pizza was delicious.

White pizza.

- Yeah, I love it.

Yeah, white pizza.

I love white pizza.

- [Mark] Yeah, it was delicious.

- [Cat] And then yeah, caramelized onion.

- [Mark] Yeah, yep.

Perfect.

- [Cat] Yeah.

So yummy.

- Charleen, what'd you have for entrees?

- I went with the staff before.

We went to work too.

So we had a few things, a few pastas, definitely with ragus and all delicious, and pizzas.

And I wanted to make sure, 'cause he has a list of like pizzas that have red sauce and pizzas with the white, so I had the potato pizza.

- [Beau] Ooh, nice.

I had savory.

- [Cat] I had that too, yeah.

- [Charleen] Yes.

I mean, delicious, the rosemary.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- [Charleen] So good.

Really loved it.

Have the herbs, the rosemary, the potato and bacon.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- [Charleen] We did half bacon, half without, 'cause I don't usually eat a lot of meat, so.

- Exactly.

It's not your thing.

- No, it really isn't.

But I thought I was so surprised at how delicious the pizzas were.

- Okay, crust, the pizza's pizza.

Everyone talks about pizza.

Tell me about his.

- [Beau] Those pizzas came outta the oven within a minute of their time, which you have to eat Neapolitan pizza right away.

Yeah, it had a great chew on it.

Had a good salt content.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- [Beau] You could tell that the dough was aged.

- [Mark] A little bowl.

A little bowl.

- [Beau] Yeah, and I really like the ingredients.

I could tell, you know, he's sourcing in Italian ingredients and they're fresh.

- [Charleen] I would agree.

The pizza's like, it's just a few ingredients and they're quality and they're done really well.

They're not going to have, because you put too much on it.

That can be the mistake.

It's too many ingredients.

- It's not pizza.

- No, you're eating.

- It's an open face sandwich.

- Yes, exactly.

- So Beau, you also had a lot of dishes.

What were your standouts?

- They have a milanese, a pork milanese on the menu that they pound out and breaded.

- You're Mr.

Classic.

- I'm a milanese guy.

But the cool thing was, was when I came to the table and I asked about it, the server said, "Would you like it milanese, or would you like it parmesan style?"

So they make a pork parmesan with red sauce and cheese.

I got it.

It was this big.

It was awesome.

Great presentation.

Very thinly, beautiful.

Nice little cooked in olive oil crisp on that breadcrumb.

The sauce was laid in the cheese and I thought it was well done.

- Charleen, what'd you have for dessert?

- Well we wanted to make sure, we had a little something sweet before we headed off to work because it's Saturday.

And so the budino and the cannoli and a scoop of ice cream.

- So cannoli is something I'm obsessed with, 'cause 90% of the time, it's awful.

Terrible, terrible.

How did Chef Gio do?

- [Charleen] Delicious.

- [Mark] Okay, cool.

Creamy, crunch, had texture?

- [Charleen] It had texture.

That's the important part because if you bite into it and it just goes, - I know.

- Poof, it's so disappointing.

- No crunch, marscapone, - Creamy.

- Creamy.

Delicious.

- Okay, good.

- So good.

And not too sweet.

Budino was delicious.

Really delicious.

Nice, rich, creamy.

So, so good.

- Chef, what did you finish with?

- I finished with something a little different.

I ordered the coffee, and I can tell you, to me, a sign of a restaurant like, chefs used to say, "If you can make a great Caesar salad or you can have a, you know, a great roasted chicken in a restaurant."

The coffee I had asked, I was like, this was a delicious hot cup of coffee.

It was Italian brand.

But when you walk away from a restaurant in the finish, it's your last thing that you may taste, walking outta the restaurant.

And their coffee was like, so good.

- So time for pro tips.

Your place.

- Pro tip for me is get the coffee at the end, and I'll remember that.

So that's my pro tip.

- [Mark] So coffee, pro tip.

- [Beau] Yeah.

- I'm gonna say don't skip that salad.

I mean, that salad was really delicious.

And I would definitely get a sandwich when they're making their sandwiches on bread they're making there.

- For me, pro tip, the location is very good.

I mean, you can just go there and have a drink or something.

See the fireplace nice on Saturday or Friday and walk around the town.

- Something for everybody.

If you wanna try Pizzeria Virtu, it's located in Old Town Scottsdale, near Main Street in Goldwater.

An average meal is about $40, and they do take reservations.

I wanna thank my friends, Cat, Charleen, and Beau Mac for joining me at the table.

And thank you for joining us for "Check Please Arizona."

If you'd like to share your favorite restaurant, head to our website, azpbs.org/checkplease, and nominate your must eat at spot.

Who knows?

You could be joining me at the table.

And be a part of the foodie conversation in Arizona on Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtag #checkpleaseAZ.

Join us next time with three new guests, make their recommendations, right here on "Check Please Arizona."

I'm Chef Mark Tarbel and have a delicious life.

- [Narrator] "Check Please Arizona is supported by.

(upbeat music)